A New Kind of Machine Pt. 1
-Vale, a skilled machine hunter, tells Aloy of the machine that tried to kill her, giving her direction once more…
Aloy wakes up before sunrise the next day and prepares herself for travel by crafting herself some arrows and making sure her other weapons are in good condition, as well as touching up her personal Nora attire. Since the battle at the Spire, she realized that armour was an important necessity when out in the wilds. Like the mercenary had mentioned earlier, she had noticed that the machines were becoming more aggressive when she was out exploring the Sacred Lands, proving harder to kill. So she had to equip herself accordingly.
She decides to set out in her casual brave attire, the very same Teb had put together for her all those months ago for the Proving. But there are some new personal additions on it. A fox pelt drapes over her left shoulder, the tail falling down her back. Over her right shoulder is conversant machine armour tied together with blue wires so it can move with her arm freely without hinderance. A new, wider metal brace covers her left forearm and both shins are now protected by small metal plating. The same assortment of beads and her blue scarf wraps around her neck and fingerless leather gloves dress her hands, a nice improvement for the colder conditions of the Sacred Land and the snow-covered mountains that border it. Most of the armour is light-weighted and doesn't hamper her movements, so it's a welcome change.
When she steps outside, the lights of the standing torches around Mother's Watch have already been lit. A pair of Nora braves walk by on patrol, greet her with bows and blessings before continuing on their way.
Against her personal wishes, Aloy chose to live in Mother's Watch, as close to All Mother as she could – close to the Cradle facility so she could access it whenever she pleased. And being the Nora tribe's 'Anointed' one, demanding that was never hard.
Her small home was built up on the hill, along the winding path that led up to All Mother mountain. It was built during reconstruction efforts after the attack by the Eclipse when they nearly levelled the village. It was the only place suitable for her tastes, aside from the fact that she lived so close to other people now, but she tried to ignore that fact as much as possible. The only other home she had was, well… hard to stare at.
With her gear ready and a small pack with her extra weapons and tools, Aloy sets out immediately to Mother's Heart to retrieve Vale. She was always an early riser, so it's likely that he would still be asleep. She hated the thought that now she would have to wake him up in the mornings, but she did agree to have him along for the journey, so she told herself to deal with it.
When she reaches the entrance, Varl is waiting for her up on the wall. He climbs down the ladder just as she approaches.
"You're leaving again, are you?"
He's been expecting it, as the tone in his voice suggests. Her head dips a little. She knows she has a habit of taking off without letting anyone know. It's because most of the time the Matriarchs would want to say prayers and blessings before sending her away, and Aloy just couldn't partake in that or be bothered.
"Yeah. I think I finally figured out what I'm supposed to do next. I might be gone for a while," she says.
"The Matriarchs will want to talk to you," he replies.
"I know, but this is important. Tell them I have the consent of All Mother to leave for another quest."
"I will." He moves to push the gates open wide. Aloy can hear the first birdsong of the day as she steps out into the wilderness of the Embrace. Even after the Eclipse had devastated it, it was a beautiful thing to see the life growing back.
"Gotta admit, I wish I was going with you," Varl says. Aloy looks back at him.
"What?" It's a big surprise to her. For the months after that big battle, Varl had never spoken of the bigger world or expressed any interest to explore beyond their borders. In fact, he seemed quite reserved about it, hiding his thoughts behind quiet nods and casual conversation.
This is a big deal to her.
"I've been thinking since going to Meridian, about what lies beyond the borders, the places you must have gone to. Are they really so blighted? Shunned from All Mother's eyes? The people in Meridian welcomed us as allies, friends even, but… we ignored them. I'm starting to think that maybe we're the ones shunning ourselves from the world, not the other way around."
Aloy shakes her head. "No one's shunning anyone Varl, as long as you're kind and considerate, people will treat you with respect. But a lifetime of tradition isn't going to change overnight. It'll take time for the Nora to accept that there is a much bigger world out there. Maybe one day you'll get to come with me on a quest of our own."
"I'd like that, but for now, I'll protect our people. Someone has to look after them while you're away."
The huntress smiles and waves at him. "I know you will, Varl. Take care."
"You too. Safe travels, Aloy."
The sun is above the horizon by the time she reaches the gates to the Nora capital, Mother's Heart. She is pleasantly surprised to find the man up and awake, sitting by the bonfire strapping his armour on. His upper body is bare except for a black scarf that wraps around his shoulders. Aloy can see a few Nora natives staring at him as she walks by and hears their words of gossip. She tries to look oblivious.
"What's with all that armour?"
"Why are we allowing a faithless man to stay with us…"
"…should have left him out in the wilds…"
Vale looks up to her just as she stops. His Focus is lit up in that odd green pattern.
"I'm surprised you're up so early. Most of the Nora braves haven't gotten out of bed yet," she says.
"Early? I got the impression that this was late for you," Vale replies, not a hint of sleep deprivation on his face. When Aloy is about to explain herself, he speaks again as he continues strapping his armour on, "My masters drilled a… strict sleeping schedule into me for years. They'd make me get up while the sky was still black to go hunting. Sometimes they'd even attack me in my sleep for no reason."
"Why? Did you learn anything from that?"
"Got rid of my snoring problem." Vale sets his chest plate over his head and tightens it down with practiced care, the last bit of armour to put on, and then drapes a leather strap across his body that holds his hammer to his back. "Ready to go?"
"Yes. We should be close to Mother's Crown by high noon," Aloy tells him, to which Vale gives her an odd look.
"High noon? Are we sprinting?"
"No, not sprinting; riding," she says as she turns around to leave for the gates. Vale picks up his shield sitting next to him and gets up.
"Riding? What do you mean by that?"
"You'll see!" she calls back, as she heads back for the exit.
… … …
They wind up deep in the middle of the valley of the Embrace, slowly approaching a herd of Striders that usually occupy the clearing near the road. The two of them sneak up to the herd in the tall grass, Aloy's spear in her hand, her original spear. Vale crawls behind her slowly, surprisingly quiet with all his armour.
"What's your plan here?" he whispers.
"Just wait here until I'm done," she whispers back, her eyes not leaving the lone Strider in front of her.
"Done what?"
"Just wait here."
Vale grunts but sits put. She approaches the machine cautiously from the rear. Its head is down, grazing the greenery around it dutifully. Whatever the Derangement is doing to the machines, you couldn't tell by looking at this peaceful machine, except maybe for the metal plating that protects the blaze canister on its back, which not all machines had.
The Strider is perfectly still as she jabs the rear end of her spear into its side. The override device goes to work quickly, and soon a new kind of wire has spread over the machine's mane. It neighs quietly and turns to her, awaiting command.
She catches Vale's utterly dumbfounded expression.
"Take this one and go," she urges, taking the Strider by the wire on its head and pulling it towards him.
"What did you just do?" he asks.
"I'll explain it later. Go!"
Vale grabs the machine and pulls it away towards the road. Aloy creeps further and lures another Strider closer with a whistle before she overrides its mind also and doubles back to the road.
Vale watches in mild astonishment as Aloy approaches him, riding the machine.
"What are you waiting for? Get on," she states.
He hesitates.
"I didn't think they were rideable…"
"It's not very comfortable, but it'll get us there fast. Come on," Aloy steers her machine down the road and starts trotting along.
"Wha… wait!" The man shouts. He jumps onto the back of the Strider so abruptly that the machine takes off on its own before he finds his grip. He stays on, but fumbles for a place to hold on to as they race after her.
… … …
Well into afternoon that day they pass by Mother's Crown. Vale had taken the lead after they crossed the gates of the Embrace and after he had learned to control the Strider with Aloy's instruction. They trudge into snow-covered ground in the plains east of the village. Aloy is thankful the air was getting warmer, but that means her boots would become soaked in the soggy brush.
Vale leads her close to the trees before he stops.
"This is where I first saw the machine," he announces. "I was hiding in the trees over there when I found it. Look, there's still tracks in the ground."
Aloy slides off her mount and activates her Focus. The footprints smoosh the grass into the wet ground, making a half-inch imprint on the ground. The tracks come from the north and lead to the Embrace, but she notices some other things as well.
"Look at how straight the tracks are," she says, not to anyone in particular. She steps over the tracks and looks down the trail. She has never seen a machine leave a more straight line in her life. They disappear behind the trees and up the hill. Whatever had ordered this machine to kill her, the programming was very specific.
"The tracks come from that way," Vale points to the mountains in the north. Aloy tags the trail and deactivates her Focus.
"We can go on foot from here. I don't think it traveled much farther."
"What makes you say that?"
Aloy turns herself his way when she says; "The Cauldron is that way."
The mercenary gives her a quizzical look. "Cauldron?"
He jogs to catch up to her as she follows the tracks backwards. They're straight except for when they have to go around a large jagged rock or a hill too steep to climb. The farther they follow the tracks, the more Aloy is convinced that it had come from the facility nearby. She could see the mountain where it was carved into.
"What's a Cauldron?" Vale asks suddenly. Aloy stops in her tracks and looks back at him.
"You don't know what a Cauldron is?"
He shrugs. "Describe it, and I might know."
"Uh, it's kind of like an underground facility, except it's all made of metal, to make more machines," she explains. She wants to keep moving, so she turns to the trail and steps forward.
"I think I've heard of something like that before. But I've never known how to get inside one. And that's where the machines are made?" Vale inquires.
"Yes. Each Cauldron makes a different species of machine, so far as I've learned. If this Cauldron made that machine that tried to kill me, we might see more of them."
"So we should go prepared."
"Exactly."
They cross a small creek before the last of the rocks separate them from a view of the Cauldron door. Aloy reduces herself to a crouch and stays close to cover as much as possible. Vale follows her lead and remains right behind her.
"What are we going to find there?" he says, just low enough to not be considered a whisper, but quiet enough that any machines around couldn't hear him.
"There's a door that we have to get through. I have a device that can get us in, but it's probably guarded by machines. I wouldn't be surprised if we found an army of machines waiting for us," Aloy replies. She stops just behind a boulder and draws her bow. "Got any traps?"
"A few. Are they really that heavily guarded?"
"No, but with the Derangement getting worse, it's not a good idea to go underprepared."
"I understand," Vale heaves his shield over his head. "Let's see what we're up against."
They creep along further. Aloy can recognize the terrain now and knows when they come up on their last bit of cover. They both peak over the last chunk of rock so they can get a glimpse of the entrance to the Cauldron.
It's concerning with how many the blue lights she sees. Half a dozen machines in all patrol the entrance: two Fire Bellowbacks standing on either side of the clearing, a trio of Watchers on rotation and a Sawtooth that stands right in front of the door.
"Looks like you were right, Aloy. An army awaits us," Vale confirms.
"But why? What are they trying to keep us from?" The huntress murmurs to herself.
"That's a lot of metal to handle," Vale points out.
"We can get through them. We just need a strategy," Aloy pins her Focus and looks at all the data she can see. The Watcher's patrol routes luckily pass close to a convenient patch of grass, and there is nothing mechanically different about the other machines.
"Can you see anything different?" she asks. Vale brings his Focus online and his eyes dart around. His information isn't visible through her Focus. She's curious as to what he can see.
"It looks like their duty is to protect the door above all else. Anything that comes near it is to dealt with with lethal force," he says. "These machines will fight to the end."
"Is there anything different about them?"
"Not that I can see."
Aloy is already beginning to devise a plan. The Sawtooth and Watchers were the speed backed by the heavy firepower of the Bellowbacks to create a balanced defence. There had to be a way to break it down. Separate the two sides and they would go down quickly. Aloy glances at the mercenary's shield.
"How much of a punch can that thing take?" she inquires.
"Enough to break the other guy. It's saved my life more times than I can count," he states confidently.
"Okay, so here's what we're going to do: we can both kill the Watcher's near that patch of grass so they don't alert the others. After that, I'll deal with the Bellowbacks; I can outpace them. You take out that Sawtooth. You can do that, can't you?"
"I can," Vale reaches for his helmet and puts it on. "Ready when you are, huntress."
Aloy waits for an opportunity to jump over to the grass without any of the machines spotting them. They make a quick transition and Aloy waits until one of the Watchers is close. She whistles just loud enough for the machine's eye to flash yellow and shine in her direction. She crouches on her knees and waits for it to get close enough and, like a Snapmaw sitting by the shore, snatches her prey with her spear and drags the small machine into the grass, twisting her spear into the head of the machine until she can hear a characteristic snap.
Vale goes next. He lures another Watcher over with a sweet two-note whistle and doesn't move again until the machine is within arm's reach. His takedown is just as fast as hers, plunging a hidden knife into the lens of the machine.
Aloy grabs two fire arrows from her quiver, scrapes them across the her arm brace to light them and aims for the crane of the neck of the closest Bellowback. Her arrows land square between the protective metal plating and one of the arrows severs a tube that carries the liquid blaze to the machine's snout. Instantly, it and the other machines are alerted, scanning the area for threats.
Vale rises and aims the cannon on his shield at the last Watcher. With expert aim he shoots it straight in the eye, disabling the machine quickly. The other machines are beginning to mobilize when he grabs his hammer and charges for the Sawtooth. Aloy shoots at the other Bellowback to get it's attention; the other one she had attacked already spotting her and making its way, nostrils flaring with fire.
She dives to the side to avoid a fireball launched by one of the machines. She turns and launches a tearblast arrow straight into the machine's nose, blasting the protective plates clear. A few sparks flicker, and when it tries breathing a torrent of flames at her, it only comes out of the one nostril. After dodging another attack, she shoots a fire arrow into the side of its nose that's sparking. When it trying to gas her with flames again, the backfire sends flames back up the tube until it makes the giant sack of blaze on its back explode into a firestorm. The flammable liquid coats the other machines too, setting them on fire.
The Sawtooth wriggles in a panic as its wires burn. Vale takes his chance to strike. He swings his hammer up under the machine's jaw and flips it onto its side. He takes another weapon from his back, one she can't quite see because he moves so fast – and slashes the jugular wires at its throat. The machine's lights go out.
Aloy finishes off the last machine by pelting it with hard-tipped arrows that easily penetrate the sack under it's head. When it finally explodes, it falls in a heap of metal and flames.
Aside from the sound of waves from the fires and Aloy's own breath, everything is quiet. She makes a quick scan of her surroundings just to make sure every machine is dead, and then approaches the door. Vale meets her there.
"This is a door?" he asks casually, looking up at its triangular shape.
"It is. Are you ready?" she replies.
"Yeah, but how do we get in?"
"With this," Aloy heaves her spear from her back. Vale's quizzical look remains, but instead of explaining it to him, she walks up to the door and sticks the rear end of her spear against the node mounted at the centre of the door. The device works its way through the security codes and firewalls before a satisfying click echoes throughout the metal and the door begins opening. Vale watches in amazement as the metal shifts and clears away, allowing them to view the inner workings of the Cauldron.
"Whoa," is his response.
"Ready to get started?" she asks. He doesn't quiet answer her, but the look of wander on his face reminds her of when she first stepped into the Cauldron month's ago. His curiosity is just as intrigued as hers is.
"I… guess I have to be," he finally words out and looks back at her. "You know the way."
Aloy takes that as her cue to move forward. She hooks her spear back into place and walks in, Vale following her cautiously. A few feet into the Cauldron, the giant triangular door closes behind them on its own.
Living in Canada is great. I mean really great. You get to experience all kinds of weather activity packed into one week. -_- I hope you guys are enjoying this, because there's plenty more to come still!